#2) Project Forkenswift electric car: 1st CONTROLLED powerup

http://www.ForkenSwift.com - Here's the Forkenswift's motor being spun up (and down, and up, and down) with a used golf cart controller. (Thanks to the EVDL folks for help with connecting the oddball Curtis.)

Apologies for the poor vid quality - this was shot with a 20 year-old camera.

Titles are hard to read in some places, so here they are:

1. Another Forkenswift milestone...
2. First CONTROLLED electric power-up
3. No more welded jumper cables, like last time...
4. This time we're hooked up to a DC motor controller
5. From a 48 volt golf cart :-)
6. We've got more juice this time, too
7. 36 volts -- three 12v batteries
8. And, last but not least,a potentiometer ...
9. (What is it about motors that makes people want to rev them?)
10. Here's the actual potentiometer we'll connect to the car's "gas" pedal.
11. Out of the old Baker forklift.
12. We also have the forklift's motor controller.
13. But we're going to try the golf cart controller first.
14. Tee-off time is approaching ...

---

Project ForkenSwift is an electric car conversion made using parts from a Suzuki Swift, Geo Metro, Baker electric forklift and a golf cart.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• EV
• electric
• car
• conversion
• vehicle
• NEV
• LSV
• controller
• potentiometer
• auto

[BigFishingShop]

Does the controller vary the voltage ??

[ForkenSwiftDotCom]

Yup.

[retaessa69]

hey , have you tried using 6volt deep cylce bateries instead , just to try to increase distance? i know that they are alot more heavier but you'll gain some pep , if i were u i wouldnt spend time on the ev 1 motor controller cus it has too many security features that will cut out power , and it controlles speed (slow speed that is) stick with the curtis type and experiment with the amp ratings on them , they are much more simple to work with

[ForkenSwiftDotCom]

The car is using a 48v pack of 6v golf cart batteries now. The 12v batteries shown were just for testing. And we stuck with the Curtis controller: 48v 400A peak (used golf cart controller).

[bdrman2004]

Hey great work. Where did you find the components?

[nbsr1]

@ForkenSwiftDotCom unless you're using a series DC motor (that are rather bulky for their performance) all motors have approx. fixed torque. It means, that without transmission, you have to either use an oversized, inefficient motor (like Tesla does) or compromise either torque at low speeds or maximum speed.

In other words, such motor will work at its max. power only near the maximum speed of the car.

[rickmillerjr77]

LOL you're using songs from gran turismo 4. I love that game!

[dany07bmx]

do you have been remained any controller?

 i wanna make an electric car but i din't have engouh money for the controller

i live in romania

[ForkenSwiftDotCom]

Nope - EV's are typically direct drive, like this one. The $100,000 Telsa Roadster has one fixed gear. Electric motors are more efficient over a much wider RPM range than gas/diesel engines.

[urbex2007]

a CVT would be most efficient.

[triangletrexx]

why do you use a transmission? wouldn't it be more resource-saving when using a bigger e-motor without transmission?

[Charles2337]

So you can turn it into a hybrid. Charge the batteries with it.